PTI
London, Oct 8: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrives on Monday for talks with his British counterpart Tony Blair on a host of issues, including cross-border terrorism, stepping up bilateral trade and forging further cooperation in the fields of education and science.
The discussion on terrorism, particularly cross-border terrorism assumes importance as it comes in the backdrop of recent evidence that Pakistan's ISI and terror outfits based there were behind the July 11 Mumbai serial blasts in which 209 were killed and another 700 injured.
Both the countries have also become victims of terrorists attacks on mass transportation system and the two leaders would share information on how to face such eventualities at major sports events since India would be hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and Britain the Olympics in 2012.
This is the third annual Summit between the two leaders since they signed the Joint London Declaration in September 2004 and according to a senior British foreign official the bilateral relations have since "become stronger, broader and deeper."
After his talks with Blair at 10, Downing Street on Tuesday and their address at the India-UK Investment Summit at Lancaster House here, Singh will fly to Cambridge on Wednesday where his alma mater will confer an honorary doctorate on him, nearly 50 years after he earned his first class honours degree in economics from the well known University.
Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who is the Chancellor of the university, will bestow the honorary doctorate of law degree on the 74-year-old economist at a congregation at Regent House of the University.
At the formal talks covering bilateral, regional and international issues, Singh will be accompanied by Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath and Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma.
The British Prime Minister will be aided by Foreign Secretary Margaret Becket, Trade and Industry Secretary, Alistair Darling and Environment Secretary David Miliband.
Blair, during his visit to India last year had announced 10 million pounds for promoting academic and educational exchanges between the two countries. That fund would now be doubled to 20 million with a contribution of 6 million pounds from India and two million pounds each from the UK and business sponsors.
The money would be used to fund scholarships and short-term academic exchanges to promote two-way movement of students, staff and researchers, provide awards for doctoral and post-doctoral research to encourage young Indians to come to Britain and young British researchers to spend time in Indian institutions, facilitate exchanges between faculties at a senior level and encourage collaboration between centres of excellence in science and technology and other fields of study.
Five such awards of half a million pounds each for five specific projects would be announced later this year, the British official said.
The two leaders will address a joint press conference at 10 Downing Street before they hold a tete-a-tete followed by lunch. Subsequently, ten leading business and industry leaders from each side will join them for a free flowing informal discussion on current trade and investment issues.
In the afternoon, they will address the India-UK Investment Summit where investors from the UK are expected to press India for further liberalization in financial services like banking, insurance, retail trade and legal consultancy.
A senior Indian source pointed out that in each of these India could move only in a measured way. Stating that a very substantial part of their programme would be on enhancing the bilateral economic and trade relations, "we will see some contract signing" at the Summit, the official said.
The two sides will also discuss the question of reviving the WTO Doha Round Negotiation which has been suspended indefinitely. From Cambridge, the Indian Prime Minister will leave for Helsinki where he will attend the India-Finland bilateral summit and India-EU Business Summit on October 12 and the India-EU Political Summit the next day.